Thursday, October 13, 2016

After extensive remodeling, the American Library in Paris celebrated its grand reopening during its Fall Open House on Sunday, September 25, 2016. Guided tours of the new spaces were conducted by Library Director Charles Trueheart and architect Lia Kiladis. Treasures from the library's archives were on display in the conference room. Tutorials for digital resources, face painting and story time for children, a voter registration station, and much more were offered during the day.

A prime feature of the open house was the Carole D. Fredericks Collection, which was recently donated to the library by the Carole D. Fredericks Foundation. It consists of activity books with lessons, music videos on DVDs, and albums on CDs that serve to teach Anglophone students to speak French. These high quality French language materials engage students at all grade levels, teach language skills, and promote the study of Francophone cultures. They support the Foundation's goal of emphasizing the advantages of second-language learning and cross-cultural communication skills.

Carole Fredericks was a powerful singer who wove the passionate threads of blues, gospel and R&B into a uniquely French tapestry. Ms. Fredericks moved from Springfield, MA to Paris in 1979 to pursue a singing career. She began as a background singer and featured artist supporting stars such as Serge Gainsbourg, France Gall, Michel Berger, Johnny Hallyday, Gilbert Bécaud, Mylène Farmer, Mireille Mathieu, and many others. But it was her breakout performance with the stellar music trio FREDERICKS GOLDMAN JONES (Jean-Jacques GOLDMAN and Michael JONES) and subsequent appearances with LES ENFOIRES for Restos du Coeur that cemented her fame with the French public.

Ms. Fredericks lived in France for twenty-two years. Her sudden death in 2001 propelled her sister, Connie Fredericks-Malone and French teacher Nancy Gadbois, in cooperation with the American Association of Teachers of French (AATF), to transform Ms. Fredericks’ biography and musical legacy into innovative French lessons for English-speaking students.

Connie Fredericks-Malone and her husband, Dr. James F. Malone, were present at the festivities to present and answer questions about the Collection and the services the Foundation provides. Dr. Malone is a veteran College and Career Readiness Counselor whose expertise is essential to the other goal of the Foundation, which is "to provide students with an effective approach to career and college readiness planning skills so they understand how to author their own career narratives."

No comments:

RSS Feed

Important: Note to Visitors

I encourage people of all races and backgrounds who are visiting Entrée to Black Paris™ to read and enjoy the content of the blog!

My goal in creating this blog is to increase awareness of Paris’ black heritage among all people – particularly those who already know and love Paris, and are seeking new avenues of exploration to enrich their cultural appreciation of the city.

Black Paris Profiles

We currently have 13 5-star reviews on Amazon.com! Click on the image below to get your copy today!

Entrée to Black Paris: One of 10 Best Paris Blogs

We're proud to be one of 10 Best Paris Blogs !

Follow us on Pinterest!

Find us on Facebook

Entrée to Black Paris™ Tours and Activities

Visit Discover Paris! for a full listing of our Afrocentric tours and activities. For additional information, contact mywells[at]discoverparis[dot]net.